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The Jerk (1979)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
14 December 1979 (USA)
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Tagline:
From rags to riches... to rags. more
Plot:
A complete imbecile struggles to make it through life on his own, until a strange invention makes him unbelievably wealthy. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Steve Martin: 'Failure inspires me'
(From digitalspy. 5 November 2009, 7:26 AM, PST)
Martin And Baldwin Are Your Oscar Hosts
(From Cinema Blend. 3 November 2009, 5:03 PM, PST)
(From digitalspy. 5 November 2009, 7:26 AM, PST)
Martin And Baldwin Are Your Oscar Hosts
(From Cinema Blend. 3 November 2009, 5:03 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Steve Martin Carries the Film to the Top
more (85 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Steve Martin | ... | Navin R. Johnson / Cat Juggler / Pig Eye Jackson / Engineer Fred (also as Pig Eye Jackson) |
 | Bernadette Peters | ... | Marie Kimble Johnson |
 | Catlin Adams | ... | Patty Bernstein |
| Mabel King | ... | Mother |
| Richard Ward | ... | Father |
| Dick Anthony Williams | ... | Taj Jonson |
| Bill Macy | ... | Stan Fox |
 | M. Emmet Walsh | ... | Madman |
 | Dick O'Neill | ... | Frosty |
| Maurice Evans | ... | Hobart |
| Helena Carroll | ... | Hester |
 | Ren Woods | ... | Elvira Jonson (as Ren Wood) |
| Pepe Serna | ... | Punk #1 in Blue Chevy |
| Sonny Terry | ... | Blues Singer |
| Brownie McGhee | ... | Blues Singer (as Brownie McGee) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Easy Money (USA) (working title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:L |
Finland:K-16 (cut) (1980) |
Portugal:M/12 |
Australia:M |
Norway:12 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
West Germany:12 |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The film's title in Germany was "Reichtum is keine Schande", which translates as "Wealth is no shame".
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Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Navin is chasing Billy on the train, Navin's voice is not synchronized with the audio.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Navin R. Johnson: Huh? I am not a bum. I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things: my friends and... uh... my thermos. Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi.
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Navin R. Johnson: Huh? I am not a bum. I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things: my friends and... uh... my thermos. Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Sharon Stone/Pearl Jam (#17.17)" (1992)
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Soundtrack:
You Belong To Me
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (85 total)
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Steve Martin's out-of-this-world performance is the main calling card of this hilarious comedy. Martin stars as a moron who has been raised by a poor African-American family. One night after hearing some music on the radio, he decides that it is time for him to go find his place in the world. What follows is a poor man's "Forrest Gump". Martin gets into some odd situations and goes from the bottom of the social ladder, to the top, and then to the bottom again. This is a flat-out comedy that is a laugh-a-minute romp. 4 stars out of 5.